Collaborative language learning in Teletandem: a resource for pre-service teacher education

This article presents some of the results of a qualitative research project about the influences of the pedagogic strategies used by a mediator (graduate student in applied linguistics) in the supervision process of a Teletandem partner (undergraduate student in languages) on her pedagogical practice. It was done within the project Teletandem Brazil: foreign language for all. Based on the reflective teaching paradigm and collaborative language learning, with special emphasis on tandem learning, we analyzed the contributions of the collaborative relationship established between the graduate student and the student-teacher in her first teaching experience. The results bring about implications for the field of language teacher education in a perspective of education within practice, evidencing the experience of collaborative learning in teletandem as an opportunity for reflective teacher education of pre-service teachers.

The assessment of self-directed learning among pre-service students in an Ontario faculty of education

The study determined students' perceptions of self-directed learning in their courses. Tests to assess perceptions are not being used in many programs. Assessments such as the Self-Directed Readiness Scale (SDLRS) and the Oddi continuing Learning Inventory (OCLI) have weaknesses that may have affected the use of tests. In this study, the creation of the Self-Directed Learning Test (SDLT) monitored students' perceptions by addressing what students were told before registration, how much input students had in developing the structure of the course, how much input students have in determining the evaluation for the course, what style of learning is taking place, and the characteristics of learning found among students. Fifty-one students in the pre-service program at Brock University completed the SDLT. Results showed that 47.1% of the sample liked self-directed learning. Several students who stated that they did not like selfdirected learning did not know what self-directed learning was. Results supported Brookfield's (1986) claim for more education on what self-directed learning is. The study did not support Knowles' (1980) assumption that adult students know and want to follow self-directed approaches to learning. The SDLT is a good method for monitoring self-directed learning and how students perceive their courses.

Religious Diversity and Teacher Education: Experiences and Perspectives of Muslim Women as Teacher Candidates in Pre-service Programs

This qualitative research project explores the insights of Muslim women as teacher candidates completing pre-service programs in Ontario. Ontario schools cater to students from many ethnic, cultural and religious groups, including a sizable Muslim population. Muslims make up 4.6% of Ontario’s population with the highest concentration of Muslims in the GTA (Statistics Canada, 2011). The Muslim population in Ontario is of a significant enough number that, in a post 9/11 world, it has prompted discussion of how to integrate Muslim populations in Canada. In this research, I explore how Islamophobic sentiment is experienced in Ontario-based teacher education programs. I use Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Critical Race Feminism (CRF) to analyse and deconstruct experiences of female Muslim teacher candidates in pre-service programs. I discuss how Muslims are a racialized group that experience racism as discussed by critical race literature; however, there is a marked difference between how Muslim men and women experience gendered Islamophobia. By using in-depth research-based interviews, I explore how Muslim women perceived diversity, education, accommodations and Islamophobia in pre-service programs. This study adds to the current literature on critical race theory and anti-racist practices in education. Furthermore, this study adds to the voice of Muslim women in the discussion of diversity and inclusivity in educational institutions.

The national curriculum : handbook for primary teachers in England : key stages 1 and 2.

Este manual es el documento oficial del Programa Nacional de Estudios (National Currículo) para las escuelas primarias, desde septiembre de 2000. En él se establece, de forma legal, el derecho a la educación para todos los alumnos; se determina el contenido de lo que se enseña, y garantiza el cumplimiento de unos objetivos: los niños de edades comprendidas entre cinco y once años, deben aprender unos conocimientos esenciales de lectura, escritura, comprensión y aritmética. Igualmente, dispone que la forma de ejecución de este programa de estudios sea evaluable, y procedan informes al respecto.

Understanding science ideas: a guide for primary teachers.

Un recurso para todos los profesores de ciencias de primaria, especialmente los no especialistas, ya que proporciona claras y accesibles explicaciones de cuestiones complejas como la flotación y la nutrición de las plantas.

Picture books for the literacy hour : activities for primary teachers.

Proporciona una guía práctica a los profesores que están aplicando la estrategia nacional de alfabetización para las etapas 1 y 2 (key stage 1 y 2). Se muestra como se pueden lograr los objetivos de aprendizaje a través de actividades significativas relacionadas con el texto elegido. Así, para enseñar a leer y escribir se utilizan cuentos populares, poemas, mitos y leyendas de diferentes tradiciones culturales. A cada libro propuesto le acompaña una detallada descripción de las actividades a realizar y hojas con actividades para fotocopiar.

Language knowledge for primary teachers.

El objetivo de este recurso es proporcionar a los profesores de primaria los conocimientos requeridos en la materia de lengua para cumplir con los requisitos del programa nacional de estudios y con los objetivos de la estrategia nacional de alfabetización (National Literacy Strategy Framework) para las etapas 1 y 2 (key stage 1 y 2). Estos objetivos incluyen textos, oraciones y palabras; además, se destaca la importancia de la aplicación de los conocimientos lingüísticos en distintos tipos de textos.

The really useful science book : a framework of knowledge for primary teachers.

Este recurso no ofrece un material que pueda ser utilizado en las aulas, está diseñado para apoyar y ampliar la comprensión de la ciencia de los profesores en formación y los profesores de aula. Consta de tres secciones: la vida y los procesos vivos; materiales y sus propiedades; procesos físicos. En cada sección se sugieren ideas clave que se amplían posteriormente en el texto. Proporciona un conocimiento exhaustivo de la ciencia en la etapa clave 1 y 2 (Key Stage 1 y 2), así como la preparación para la enseñanza y el aprendizaje en la etapa clave 3 (Key Stage 3).

Understanding mathematics for young children : a guide for Foundation Stage and Lower Primary Teachers.

Guía para tener una comprensión más clara de las matemáticas y de los materiales que se utilizan en el aula con niños de tres a ocho años. Muestra cómo ayudarlos en el desarrollo y la comprensión de las matemáticas por sí mismos, en lugar de aprender recetas y rutinas. Al final de cada capítulo se incluyen algunos ejemplos de actividades que pueden ser utilizadas en las distintas edades. Contiene estrategias para el cálculo mental.

The ICT handbook for primary teachers : a guide for students and professionals.

Este manual se basa en la idea de que el éxito de la implementación de las TIC en la escuela depende de la identificación, gestión y operación de una serie de procesos clave. Sostiene que el éxito no sólo depende de un buen liderazgo, sino también en la participación de todos los interesados. Explora y describe la utilidad de las TIC en una amplia gama de contextos para mejorar el aprendizaje de los niños en el aula. Contiene: Requisitos legales para el uso de las TIC en todos los niveles del currículo. Uso de las TIC en áreas curriculares básicas y en contextos interdisciplinarios. Asesoramiento en la incorporación de una gama de recursos TIC en el aprendizaje del niño. Diferentes modelos de e-learning (dispositivos portátiles, pizarras interactivas, Internet). Cómo las TIC pueden utilizarse para ayudar a los alumnos con necesidades educativas especiales Uso de las TIC para la planificación, ejecución, evaluación y registro.

Primary teachers as readers

In the context of the continued pressure and politicisation of the teaching of reading in England, the United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA) sought to ascertain patterns in primary teachers' reading, both personally and professionally. The project, undertaken in 11 Local Authorities in England, explored 1200 primary teachers' personal reading habits and preferences, investigated their knowledge of children's literature, and documented their reported use of texts in the classroom through a questionnaire. In addition, it sought to establish the extent of the teachers' involvement with and use of local area/school library services. This paper reports on the findings with reference to the teachers' personal reading, the frequency of this reading and the sources they use to select their reading material. It also considers the teachers' favourite childhood texts and the books they identified as highly significant to them, as well as their perceptions of the importance of literature. Connections are made to the data gathered about their knowledge of children's literature, and how primary teachers decide which literature to work with in the classroom.

Narration in Swedish pre- and primary school : a recourse for language development and multilingualism

Increased immigration in Europe and worldwide has led to more pre- and primary school students being educated through the medium of a second language, and there is considerable research, much of it coming from Australia, to suggest that in order to cope with this situation, children will need to begin to acquire, from their earliest years in pre-school, a variety of knowledge-based language skills that will be sufficient to carry them through the subject-based education they will encounter in their subsequent schooling. This is particularly important for L2-students who are less likely to meet academic language outside the school. In this paper, based on transcripts of oral interactions in the classroom, it is argued that conversational and story-telling skills, oral and written, provide a rich environment for the development of academic school language, while at the same time promoting and making good use of the cultural diversity that is increasingly a feature of pre-primary and primary classrooms.

Swedish Primary Teachers' Attitudes towards Integrating Gaming in the EFL Classroom

A current topic in Swedish schools is the use of computer games and gaming. One reason is because computers are becoming more and more integrated into the schools, and the technology plays a large role in the everyday lives of the pupils. Since teachers should integrate pupils’ interests in the formal teaching, it is of interest to know what attitudes teachers have towards gaming. Therefore the aim of this empirical study is to gain an insight into the attitudes Swedish primary teachers have towards online and offline computer games in the EFL classroom. An additional aim is to investigate to what extent teachers use games. Five interviews were conducted with teachers in different Swedish schools in a small to medium-sized municipality. After the interviews were transcribed, the results were analyzed and discussed in relation to relevant research and the sociocultural theory. The results show that teachers are positive towards games and gaming, mostly because gaming often contains interaction with others and learning from peers is a main component in sociocultural theory. However, only one out of the five participants had at some point used games. The conclusion is that teachers are unsure about how to use games in their teaching and that training and courses in this area would be valuable. More research is needed within this area, and it would be of value to investigate what suggested courses would contain and also to investigate exactly how games can be used in teaching.

Self-identification of problems in the process of listening to English in pre-service interpreters

Questa tesi ha come oggetto di studio i problemi riscontrati nelle trascrizioni di testi orali in lingua inglese prodotte da 39 studenti della laurea magistrale in Interpretazione. Nel Capitolo 1 viene presentato l’ascolto, che viene definito prima da un punto di vista storico, poi analizzato come processo composto da quattro fasi, come sostiene Michael Rost (2011). Il capitolo si conclude con l’ascolto nell’ambito dell’interpretazione. Nel Capitolo 2 viene analizzato in maniera contrastiva l’apprendimento dell’ascolto nella prima e nella seconda lingua. I primi due capitoli forniscono le basi per comprendere il caso di studio. Il Capitolo 3 concerne la metodologia dello studio. Vengono presentati il metodo di analisi delle trascrizioni, la categorizzazione dei problemi riscontrati e il processo di creazione del sistema di analisi utilizzato. Nel Capitolo 4 vengono presentati i dati ottenuti seguendo il metodo esposto nel Capitolo 3. Si presentano i problemi riscontrati, che vengono suddivisi in categorie in base a ciò che può averli causati. Il Capitolo 5 è dedicato alle conclusioni. Qui vengono suggerite possibili strategie mirate ad aiutare gli studenti di Interpretazione a migliorare le proprie capacità di ascolto in lingua inglese. Esta tesis quiere analizar los problemas encontrados en transcripciones de textos orales en inglés hechas por 39 estudiantes del máster en Interpretación. En el Capítulo 1 se presenta la escucha, que se define primero desde una perspectiva histórica, y luego como un proceso formado por cuatro fases, como argumenta Michael Rost (2011). El capítulo se cierra con la escucha en el ámbito de la interpretación. En el Capítulo 2 se analizan de forma contrastiva el aprendizaje de la escucha en la primera y segunda lengua. Los primeros dos capítulos constituyen la base para comprender el caso de estudio. El Capítulo 3 atañe a la metodología del estudio. Se presentan el método de análisis de las transcripciones, la categorización de los problemas encontrados y el proceso de creación del sistema de análisis que se ha empleado. En el Capítulo 4 se proporcionan los datos obtenidos gracias al método presentado en el Capítulo 3. Se presentan los problemas encontrados, que han sido divididos en categorías según qué puede haberlos ocasionado. El Capítulo 5 está dedicado a las conclusiones. Aquí se sugieren posibles estrategias cuyo objetivo es ayudar a los estudiantes de Interpretación a mejorar sus capacidades de escucha en inglés.